


Bless the Beasts and Children

by NicholasFawn



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Canon Divergence, First Time, M/M, Parenthood, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-03-27 06:29:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13875105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicholasFawn/pseuds/NicholasFawn
Summary: Sometimes, Ronan can't help where his dreams take him. When he wakes up one morning with a baby in his arms, he doesn't know what he's going to do. Fortunately, those around him are more than willing to step up to the plate.





	1. Ronan Dreamed

**Author's Note:**

> This is a longer project that I've been sitting on for a while. Hope you like!

Ronan Lynch didn’t like sleeping at Monmouth Manufacturing. He usually spent his nights there listening to music and playing with Chainsaw. Sleeping meant dreaming, and dreaming meant night terrors. Gansey helped him kill one, once, and he didn’t want to inflict that on him again. Sleeping was easier in his BMW, pulled to the side of a long forgotten road. But sometimes sleep snuck up on him as he rested in his bed. And sometimes his dreams slipped through his fingers like water; untameable, unownable.

On that particular night, all he could remember were wisps of dreams like fading memories, blurry around the edges. He saw blood. He felt pain. But it wasn’t concrete, and he couldn’t put a name to it. He’d never felt that sort of pain before. The Orphan Girl wasn’t there. He knew that because when she was there, the dreams were clear. There was only him, and pain, and blood, and pretty, pretty blue eyes. The prettiest blue eyes Ronan had ever seen. The same deep set eyes that always haunted his dreams along with those thin lips and high cheekbones.

Ronan didn’t wake up like he usually did. It didn’t feel like falling off a cliff and jerking awake just before he hit the ground. This morning, it was more like a gradient. He faded into consciousness gently and easily. So easily that he didn’t notice the sleeping bundle in his arms for a few good minutes. He felt the weight of it, he felt...moisture, for some reason, but in the time it took him to fully wake up, he hadn’t processed what those things meant.

When his eyes landed on the small, sleeping face in his arms, his breath left his body as if he’d just taken a punch from Declan. It was covered in blood and a strange white substance that got on his hands and soaked into his shirt. He figured the blood wasn’t the baby’s, considering it was sleeping soundly. Ronan sat up slowly, not taking his eyes off the naked baby in his arms (it was quickly revealed that this baby was a boy). He didn’t know what to do or how to handle him.

It wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this. Chainsaw was a dream thing, after all, along with his little brother Matthew. But now he didn’t have parents to step in.

The sun streamed in through his window, shining on the baby’s messy skin. He slowly stood up, being sure to support the baby’s small head. He slept so soundly in Ronan’s arms, it made his heart ache for a moment before he made his way out of his room.

Gansey was pacing, his eyes unfocused and his thumb rubbing against his lower lip. He didn’t look up at Ronan.

“Hey.” Ronan’s voice was still full of sleep, and he tried to keep it low. But Gansey heard him anyway and looked up.

“Good morn-” he cut himself off once he saw the naked baby in his friend’s arms. “No.”

“Could you grab a towel?” Ronan asked, not acknowledging the look of shock on his best friend’s face. “This is kinda messy.”

“What did you do?” Gansey sighed, his voice exasperated in the same way a teacher’s might be after a long day of dealing with troublesome students. “Is that a baby?”

Ronan rolled his eyes and adjusted the baby in his arms. At the movement, the little guy squeezed his eyes shut and let out a quiet yawn. “No, it’s a chicken. And it’s covered in this weird white shit, so, again, could you grab a towel?”

“Vernix,” Gansey said, grabbing a towel from near his bed. “It’s called vernix, and it protects the baby’s skin.”

“You would know that,” Ronan muttered as Gansey walked up to stand in front of him.

“He’s a dream thing,” Gansey said as he helped Ronan clean the boy’s soft, delicate skin. It wasn’t a question, so Ronan didn’t say anything in response. Everyone was familiar with Ronan’s ability at this point, even if nobody understood how it worked.

When he was all clean, Ronan handed him to Gansey. He went back into his own room and changed his dirtied shirt, grabbing another clean shirt to wrap the baby in. When he stepped back out, Gansey was holding the boy in front of him, smiling and making cooing sounds.

“What the hell?” Ronan asked.

“He’s awake!” he responded, turning the naked baby to look at Ronan.

His eyes were puffy but alert. He was so small and his skin was red. A newborn, Ronan thought, maybe a few hours old, at the most. For the first time since he woke up, it started sinking in. He dreamed up a baby. A baby he didn’t know what to do with.

Gansey’s phone started to ring so Ronan took the baby from him and wrapped him in the shirt. He started to get fussy, so Ronan held him close to his chest and rocked him in a way he hoped would be comforting. He quieted down, much to Ronan’s relief, so he gingerly walked toward Gansey where he stood near a window.

“Yes, well,” Gansey started, “I have a good idea why that might be. We’ll be on our way to get you.”

“Adam?” Ronan asked when Gansey hung up. Gansey nodded in response.

“Let’s go,” Gansey said in his voice that was nearly impossible to refuse. 

They slipped their shoes on and made their way to the Pig. Gansey moved to open the door but then stopped and looked over the roof of the car at Ronan.

“Let’s take the BMW,” he said.

“Why?” Ronan asked, patting the baby’s back.

“This is too loud,” Gansey said, extending his hand out.

Ronan rolled his eyes but reached into his pocket to toss Gansey the keys. When they climbed into the BMW, Ronan got in the backseat. He didn’t want to risk being seen by police. In the back he could hold the boy in his lap, out of view from the window.

The drive to Adam’s small apartment was quick and easy. Ronan could tell that Gansey was being extra careful. Throughout the drive, Ronan took a chance to really look at the baby’s face. He’d fallen back to sleep at this point. Anxiety was building in Ronan’s chest. What were they going to do? He couldn’t keep a baby in a cage in his room. He couldn’t hold a baby on his shoulder or let it wander around.

When they got to Adam’s apartment, he was already waiting outside, obviously anxious. Gansey gestured for him to get into the front seat, so he did, though it was obvious he was confused. He got inside and buckled himself in without looking to the backseat at all.

“Why can’t I feel the ley line?” he asked. His voice sounded strange.

Rather than respond, Gansey gestured to the backseat with a hand. Adam turned, obviously ready to reprimand Ronan in some way, until he saw what was in Ronan’s lap. Shock crossed his face first, then confusion, then understanding.

“I see,” he said. He looked into Ronan’s eyes and nodded. Ronan could feel his pulse throughout his body. “This drained the ley line more than anything else.”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose,” Ronan said, looking out of the car window. He didn’t know why his initial response was defensiveness when it was clear Adam wasn’t scolding him.

“What are we going to do?” Adam asked Gansey.

“First things first,” he answered, his voice sure as if this wasn’t the first time one of his friends dreamed up a baby that they didn’t know what to do with, “we talk to the women at Fox Way, of course.”

“Well we better get there fast,” Ronan said, his voice laced with irritation.

“What’s the sudden rush?” Gansey asked.

“This kid just pissed in my lap.”


	2. Baby Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang learns more about the little bundle of joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This chapter took a lot out of me. I hope you enjoy.

“How does a kid who’s never had a drink before pee in your lap?” Gansey asked, taking the baby from Ronan’s hands once they were out of the car and in front of 300 Fox Way. The boy was crying now, for the first time since Ronan dreamed him up, and it was a raw and unpleasant sound. It made something visceral grow in the pit of Ronan’s stomach, like he would do anything to make sure nothing ever upset him that much again.

His mind immediately abandoned the wet spot on his pants and he went to reach for the baby that Gansey still held. However, before he could get there, Adam rushed over to Gansey’s side. He took the baby into his arms and began to rock him in a way that suggested it wasn’t his first time holding one. Ronan stared. Gansey stared. When Adam noticed, his ears burned red.

“I have a lot of younger cousins,” he mumbled. “I used to babysit.”

Before anyone could respond, Maura appeared in the doorway to the house, Blue close behind her. She pushed past her mother and stormed up to Adam.

“What the hell is that?” her eyes were wide, and it almost made Ronan want to smirk.

“Ask him,” Adam said, jerking his head in Ronan’s direction.

“I should have known.” Blue looked over and narrowed her eyes at him. Her hair was quickly escaping from her clips, and her multicolored, patchy outfit looked ridiculous. Ronan responded to her with one of his signature glares. Usually, it was enough to strike fear into those it was directed at. Blue seemed immune to it, though.

“Come inside,” Maura called from the doorway. “So we can figure this out.”

Fox Way was always bustling with activity, which annoyed Ronan, who valued silence. The interior design could have easily been done by someone color blind, and none of the furniture seemed to come from the same set. As they went inside, Maura led them to the reading room, and they all took a seat. Adam still held the baby, who had quieted down.

“You dreamed a baby,” Blue said, after Gansey explained the situation. “How does that happen? I thought you could control it?”

“Seems like you thought wrong,” Ronan responded, scowling.

“It’s really complicated,” Gansey said, always jumping to Ronan’s defense.

“I can’t feel the ley line,” Adam chimed in. “At all. This drained it of all its energy.”

“That’s happened before, hasn’t it?” Blue asked. “With Kavinsky, right?”

“Okay!” Maura put her hands up and silenced their talking. “When Calla comes back, we can do a full reading. She’ll be home soon. Until then...I’m guessing you don’t have diapers or anything.”

Ronan turned his scowl to Maura, and like Blue, she didn’t falter. Did she think he had diapers on hand? Did she think he had dream babies to deal with every week?

“Worry no more,” a voice said from upstairs. The first thing they saw when this person entered the reading room was a pair of thin legs and a giant box. However, upon setting down the box, Persephone was revealed. Her abundance of hair was held back by a thick braid, leaving her dark eyes on full display.

“What’s that?” Blue asked.

Persephone opened the box and pulled out a package of diapers. After that, she pulled out a dark blue onesie. She continued to pull various supplies from the box: baby wipes, formula, washcloths, bottles. The box seemed bottomless.

“If you knew this was going to happen, why didn’t you warn me?” Ronan’s voice was laced with venom.

“I knew there was going to be a baby at some point soon,” Persephone answered, sounding unbothered. “I didn’t know when or exactly whose baby. I actually thought it might be Blue’s, for a minute there.”

Blue’s cheeks turned red and Gansey avoided eye contact with anyone.

“Adam,” Persephone said suddenly. “The ley line will recharge in its own time.”

Adam nodded dumbly as if surprised to be addressed by name. He handed the baby to Maura when she extended her hands out. She handled him carefully, like a pro. Together, she and Persephone cleaned him up and dressed him. He seemed content to let them handle him, his eyes flickering around the room as if even he knew his surroundings were bizarre. As they did that, Calla came through the front door. She was dressed in light pink leggings and a black tank top. It was obvious she’d been working out in some way. Because the door to the reading room was open, she could clearly see the baby Maura was holding. She immediately began to laugh.

“What have you gotten yourselves into?” she asked upon entering the room. She had a smirk on her face.

“We need to do a reading,” Maura said. “Grab your cards and come sit.”

Calla gave Maura an exasperated look but followed her instructions. The three psychics sat opposite the three boys. The baby had been passed to Blue’s Aunt Jimi who poked her head into the reading room at the sound of all the commotion. Ronan grew increasingly annoyed at the sound of her baby talk, and just when he was about to say something, Maura had ushered her from the room and requested she make a bottle for him. Jimi seemed happy to comply.

Each of the women shuffled their cards, and Ronan watched closely. He didn’t entirely trust this process.

“What are we doing a reading for?” he asked. “It’s not gonna make him un-exist.”

“Guidance,” Persephone answered. She didn’t explain further, and neither Maura nor Calla acknowledged he’d spoken at all.

“Pick a card from each of our decks,” Calla finally said, extending her cards out, spread as if she were about to perform a magic trick.

Ronan reached out and touched a card. He felt nervous, but he didn’t understand why. He sat there for a second, his finger brushing over the card. It wouldn’t change anything, no matter what the card said, so why did he care? He pulled it out and flipped it over, setting it on the table.

“The Sun,” Calla said.

He reached for Maura’s deck and flipped over a card.

“The Sun,” she said, smiling.

Persephone extended her arm far enough for Ronan to reach, but when he went to grab a card, Adam grabbed his wrist.

“Let me,” he said with such conviction that Ronan pulled his arm back. Adam grabbed a card and flipped it onto the table. At the sight of it, Gansey let out an amused huff.

“The Sun,” Persephone said in a curious voice. She rested her dark eyes on Ronan, and he got the same feeling he had the first time he looked down the barrel of a gun. “You’ve created something very beautiful, Ronan.”

Ronan swallowed. He wanted to know where the boy was. He wanted to hold him again, but he didn’t understand why. Before he could say anything, Jimi rushed back into the room, the baby asleep in her arms.

“What a perfect little thing,” she said, passing the baby into Calla’s arms. “He’s fat and happy.”

She left in the same way she came into the room: as if she had somewhere to else to be. Ronan looked at the baby and allowed his eyes to trail up to Calla’s face. He saw a look on her face that he’d never seen before. Blatant surprise mixed with unabashed curiosity graced her features.

“Everyone out of the reading room,” she said suddenly. “Ronan and Adam, you stay.”

“Calla-” Maura started, but Persephone touched her arm, seeming to understand how serious Calla was.

Blue walked up to Gansey and extended a hand out. Once he took it she led him out of the reading room. “Let me show you my bedroom.”

“Keep your door open,” Maura said in an amused voice as she and Persephone trailed out. She closed the door behind her.

“What’s going on?” Adam asked, his voice concerned.

Ronan didn’t say anything. He took the baby from Calla’s hands as he waited for an explanation of some sort.

“That baby,” she started slowly, “is the product of both of you.”

“What does that mean?” Ronan asked, frustrated.

“He is biologically yours,” she said to him in a sharp tone. “Both of yours. He has your DNA.”

“My DNA…” Adam whispered from beside Ronan. “I don’t understand.”

“For all intents and purposes,” Calla said, looking Adam directly in his eyes. “He’s your child.”


	3. Niall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the gang going to do with a baby? Don't they have enough on their plates?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life has been hard recently. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I apologize for its lateness.

“I wonder what she’s telling them,” Gansey said, sprawled out on Blue’s bed, eyes darting around her colorful room.

“Who knows?” Blue fumbled around with something on her dresser just to keep her hands occupied. It felt weird having Gansey, so comfortably, in her room. In one corner of her mind, she wanted to keep him there in her little haven. She wanted him to be in this place free of judgment and fear. In another corner of her mind, she wanted to shoo him away. She wasn’t sure of the status of their “relationship” and she hadn’t yet told Adam. She hadn’t really had a conversation with Adam since she broke off whatever that thing between them was.

“We have to do something with him,” Gansey said. “He’s a living, breathing baby.”

“Like what?” Blue asked in a wry tone. “Leave it on the side of the road and let it go on its merry way?”

“Well, obviously not that, Jane.” Gansey chuckled and stood up. Blue felt his presence behind her, and her skin broke out in goosebumps.

“Maybe Ronan’s older brother?” Blue asked as Gansey’s arms encircled her waist.

“Fat chance,” Gansey said, and it sounded so unusual coming from him, almost vulgar, that she couldn’t help but laugh.

Before she could say anything in response, she heard (and felt) the front door slam. She jumped from Gansey’s arms. A second later, Adam’s tentative voice called up for Gansey, who followed it without hesitation. And like that, Blue’s haven was empty. She trailed after Gansey back down the stairs.

“He’s outside,” Adam said before anything else, and Gansey rushed from the house.

“What did she say?” Blue asked Adam. It was easy talking about this part of their lives with him, much easier than talking about their relationship.

“The baby is mine,” he started, “and Ronan’s.”

Blue didn’t understand. Could Adam pull things from his dreams as well? Her confusion must have been obvious from her expression, because he quickly elaborated.

“That’s what Calla told us,” he said. “His DNA is...both of ours.”

He said it like he didn’t fully understand what he was trying to explain, and Blue could see why. It was a strange thing to wrap their heads around. A boy who could pull anything from his dreams. A boy who could replicate and morph DNA, and pull it into reality, creating an entirely new being.

“That’s...a lot,” Blue managed to say, and Adam’s face told her that he agreed.

Adam turned to go outside and gestured for Blue to follow. Once she was out on the front lawn, she saw Ronan pacing and holding the baby (who was sleeping), along with Gansey, Calla, and Maura standing across from him. Maura had a car seat next to her foot. It was tattered and stained.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Ronan said, his gaze steely.

Calla rolled her eyes. “And you’re equipped to take care of a baby on your own?”

“He’s mine,” Ronan snapped back, his voice barely above a snarl.

“Nobody’s doubting that,” Maura chimed in, her voice more tentative than Calla’s. “We just want to help.”

“You can help by staying out of it.” He didn’t flinch as Adam took the baby from his arms. There was a trust between them that Blue couldn’t understand. They were so different, but connected. They had to be connected. Why else would Ronan dream them a baby?

“You can’t miss anymore school, Lynch,” Gansey said. “You know the deal.”

Ronan’s face became deadly, and Adam took a step away, rocking the baby in his arms like he’d done it a million times before. The boy was wrapped in a small, familiar blanket: one of Blue’s old ones. His little face was barely visible, but Blue could see that he looked content. She could also see that he had Adam’s lips. Thin and elegant.

“He stays with us or I leave,” Ronan growled. “He’s mine and I won’t drop him off somewhere.”

“Fox Way isn’t just somewhere,” Calla said, rolling her eyes. “We don’t want to take him from you.”

“So, we’re gonna babysit?” Blue asked.

“You can look at it that way,” Maura said, looking at Ronan.

Ronan didn’t reply right away. He walked over to Adam and took the baby from him. Blue knew him long enough at this point to know that his lack of response was better than him lashing out. Though it seemed like he wasn’t listening, it at least meant he was thinking it over. He took the baby to the car seat and strapped him in.

“No matter what,” he started, “he comes home with me every night.”

“We’ll drop him off before school,” Gansey said in his authoritative voice. The voice that sounded like it belonged to a king.

“And we’ll pick him up after,” Adam said, his eyes scanning the group. “I can feel Cabeswater again. Just barely, but it’s there.”

Blue could see that everyone wanted to say something to him. How did he feel about this? What would he do knowing that Ronan dreamed them a baby? He already had so much on his shoulders. So much that he wouldn’t let anyone help him with. Now he had to think about this too. Blue felt for him.

Ronan picked up the car seat and began to walk away without warning. Everyone looked around at each other for a few seconds, and then Adam began to follow him.

“Ronan,” Gansey called. Ronan paused and looked back over his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at Gansey. “What’s his name?”

Blue almost laughed at the utter absurdity, but necessity, of the question. She was surprised nobody asked it earlier, and she had to confess that it hadn’t even crossed her mind. Even Ronan seemed surprised by the question. Enough so that he turned around and faced the group, looking fully engaged for the first time since he’d arrived there. Everyone, including Adam, looked at him. Ronan only looked at Gansey.

“His name…” he started.

Calla scoffed. “Yeah, he needs one of those if he’s going to exist on the planet.”

“His name is Niall,” Ronan said with unwavering conviction. “Niall Matthew.”

And that was that. Ronan walked away, Adam trailing behind him and Niall sleeping in the car seat. When Blue looked over at Gansey, she saw that he was watching them with a fond look in his eyes.


End file.
